The Tragic End of Bret Hart’s Career
Bret Hart, the legendary Canadian wrestling star, has achieved impossible feats in his career, becoming one of the most beloved grapplers of all time. He’s been the WWF (now WWE) Champion six times, as well as the WCW Champion, and a very successful mainstay of both wrestling promotion giants for over a decade.
But all good things come to an end, and Hart’s illustrious tenure in the squared circle came to a tragic end after the infamous Montreal Screwjob.
The Montreal Screwjob
In 1997, Bret Hart was still under contract with the WWF, despite planning to move to rival organization WCW. Hart had agreed to drop the WWF Championship back to Shawn Michaels on November 9 at the Survivor Series, with being-WCW president Eric Bischoff hitting him with a “guaranteed” big money offer.
However, Vince McMahon and some close associates had a different plan. Without Bret’s consent, they used the trickiest of tricks in wresting to force him to drop the title, what became known as the Montreal Screwjob.
Retirement and Return
Afterwards, Bret was outraged and vowed to never work for Vince McMahon or the WWF again. He went on to have a successful and respected career in WCW, including winning the World Heavyweight Championship five times.
In 2010, after being absent from the company for 13 years, Bret Hart made a surprise appearance in the ring at Wrestlemania 26. This marked his return to the company and the start of a reconciliation between him and McMahon. Hart later become an ambassador for the company, before retiring from in-ring competition in 2012.
Since then, he has been an occasional on-screen presence and a leader of the WWE Alumni, with his name still one of the most popular in the business.
Legacy and Hall of Fame
Bret’s career and tremendous achievements will live on forever as a reminder of what sports entertainment is capable of producing. His place in the Hall of Fame is also a testament to his legendary status within the wrestling industry.
Bret Hart will always be remembered for his incredible talent, his incredible storytelling ability and for helping to kickstart the Attitude Era. He will be remembered as one of the greatest of all time and his legacy will never be forgotten.
